Antigen Shift in Influenza Viruses
Posted on May 4, 2009 Comments (3)
Antigenic shift is the process by which at least two different strains of a virus, (or different viruses), especially influenza, combine to form a new subtype having a mixture of the surface antigens of the two original strains.
Pigs can be infected with human, avian and swine influenza viruses. Because pigs are susceptible to all three they can be a breeding ground for antigenic shift (as in the recent case of H1N1 Flu – Swine Flu) allowing viruses to mix and create a new virus.
Related: Swine Flu: a Quick Overview – One Sneeze, 150 Colds for Commuters – Washing Hands Works Better than Flu Shots (study results) – Learning How Viruses Evade the Immune System – Alligator Blood Provides Strong Resistance to Bacteria and Viruses
Image by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA NIHCategories: Health Care, Life Science, Science, Students
Tags: genes, genetics, human health, Life Science, Science, science explained, science facts, virus
3 Responses to “Antigen Shift in Influenza Viruses”
Leave a Reply
RSS Feed
May 8th, 2009 @ 12:35 am
Thanks for the valuable information on spreading swine flue. The post is really helpful for a common man to understand how the swine flue viruses attack the human body. If we understood the phenomenon, we can surely control such epidemic infections.
Thanks!
November 13th, 2009 @ 10:14 am
This article from MIT is one, of many, showing MIT’s commitment to science education of the public. Good job, MIT.
February 15th, 2012 @ 3:15 am
[…] Antigen Shift in Influenza Viruses – Learning How Viruses Evade the Immune System – How to Stay Healthy: Avoiding the Flu […]